


hunger

by smudgywords



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: 5+1 Things, Exorcisms, Gen, Gore, Occult, Self-Harm, Witchcraft, exorcist yamaguchi, for rituals and shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-24
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-14 11:55:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29666907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smudgywords/pseuds/smudgywords
Summary: Yamaguchi is well-versed with the occult. The Karasuno gym just happens to be a portal.5+1 Things
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	hunger

**Author's Note:**

> this contains gore. it’s mild if you try not to imagine it too hard. 
> 
> I’m a fan of badass yamaguchi fics so here’s my take on that

With the trace of a blade over his palm, he took in a sharp breath. Tears welled in his eyes, and blood bubbled up in the skin of his hand. 

Using his finger, he took great care in drawing a circle around himself. It was gross, really. He knew it would stain the gymnasium, but there really wasn’t another option. 

He threw salt over his shoulder before he got to the nitty-gritty, letting a sigh of relief out of his chest when he felt the presence behind him snuff out. 

“Come on out, Mei,” He sighed, calling out to the spirit that was just barely crawling out of the ground. 

Mei was not of this world, if you hadn’t guessed. 

Well, she was. Just not of this *current* world. 

Mei was a banshee, or at least that’s what Yamaguchi thought. If you looked at her for too long, you would find all kinds of gory details that would probably turn anyone else’s stomach. Yamaguchi was pretty used to that, he had to be in his line of work. 

With her inordinately long two front arms, she dragged herself beside Yamaguchi, watching him try to scrub some of the blood away while it was wet. 

It didn’t really matter, there were more pressing issues to be dealt with at the moment. 

Something clicked in the wall, tapping around and waiting for movement. Mei and Yamaguchi didn’t move an inch, breaths bated and eyes following the animalistic clicking. 

_ “Ya-Yamag-guchi,”  _ The being struggled out, still clicking from within the concrete. 

Yamaguchi stilled, breath frozen in his lungs. This thing knew his name. That’s probably not a good sign. 

Mei snarled, charging to the wall and putting her hand through it. The clicking monster went insane, clicking louder and louder until Yamaguchi thought he was gonna start crying. 

“I command you!” Yamaguchi yelled, voice as stern as it could be, “Leave this place!” 

The being bubbled a reply, and the clicking stopped. 

Mei tried to smile, but it looked like her jaw was to her chest, barely held on by tendrils of muscle connecting it to her face. Instantly, she turned around to leave from where she came. 

Yamaguchi bid her adieu, before spitting on the circle and rubbing it with his fingers. 

It came off slowly. He always remembered that blood dissolved with spit.

***

Practice was fucking brutal the next day. Everyone was happier, more energetic and fluid with their motions than they were last week. Everyone but Yamaguchi. 

That fucking  _ thing,  _ whatever it was, he was going to kick it’s ass. Thinking it could hitch a ride on his body. The nerve of some demons. 

As soon as he was certain nobody was watching, Yamaguchi cursed silently at the dull pressure on his wrist. 

“Get the hell out of me, I command it,” Yamaguchi whispered, “It’s annoying,” 

The pressure increased. 

His eyes watered involuntarily as his blood pumped harder and faster without his consent. 

“Stop it. Leave,” He whispered again, then once more in what little Latin he knew. Maybe this demon was a traditionalist. 

Waves of dizziness began to go through his body, making him stumble a bit and hang carefully to the wall. 

“Yamaguchi? Everything okay?” Sugawara asked, head tilted as he walked over to his underclassman.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Yamaguchi did his best not to grunt in pain and annoyance as the dull pressure continued up his arms. 

“You look very pale, do you need the nurse?” The upperclassmen asked again, face etched in worry. 

“It’s just vertigo, promise,” He waved him off, only a little bit embarrassed at how awful he must look. 

“Sit down, Tadashi,” Another voice cut in. He wanted to roll his eyes at Tsukki, but the use of his first name threw him off badly enough that he agreed. 

As Tsukki led him to the bench, he did his best not to wince at the sudden stabbing pain in his palms. 

Tsukki noticed, because of course he did. He was Tsukki. 

“What’s wrong with your hand?” He asked bluntly, his voice hitching at the end when he caught a peek of something that Yamaguchi wasn’t even aware of yet. 

Yamaguchi frowned, looking at his right palm. 

A perfect circle was carved into his hand, like he had used a round cookie cutter on his skin. That was...decidedly not what he did last night. 

The circle burnt really,  _ really  _ badly. 

“S-Shit,” Yamaguchi swallowed hard, trying to keep the rest of it out of Tsukki’s line of sight. 

Tsukki was having none of it. 

He grabbed Yamaguchi’s hand, eyes widening with no reservations. 

“Did you do this to yourself?” He asked, voice the slightest bit shaky. Something only Yamaguchi would notice. 

“No, I swear! I-“ Yamaguchi looked at it closer, noticing how it wasn’t bleeding despite being formed only seconds ago, “I really,  _ really  _ have no idea!” 

“Liar.” Tsukki settled on, frown set on his features. 

“I didn’t do this, Kei,” Yamaguchi said, voice stern and offering no room for argument, “I really have no idea,” 

Tsukki traced the circle with his finger, apologizing quietly as Yamaguchi hissed in pain. 

“It’s perfect. A perfect circle,” Tsukki clicked his tongue in confusion, “That’s not...normal,” 

_ No shit,  _ Yamaguchi wanted to say, but he just nodded in agreement. 

“Is everything okay over here?” Daichi asked, having come over at the sound of Yamaguchi’s hiss. 

Tsukki began to speak, but Yamaguchi cut him off. 

“Yes, we’re fine, thank you,” He tried his best to smile, but a sudden bite of pain burst along his spine, and it came off more as a painful grimace. 

“No, we’re not,” Tsukki huffed, “We need the first-aid kit,” 

Yamaguchi grit his teeth as he glared at Tsukki. 

“Oh, it’s in the club room,” Daichi nodded, but his expression was twisted in concern. 

He’s been doing this for 3 years, and this was the closest he had ever came to being caught. He wasn’t caught when the Fae began to leave his locker door open when he thought it was closed. He wasn’t even caught when that poltergeist had thrown him to the ground when he was changing.

Fucking circles, dude. 

Tsukki led him into the club room, face having more emotion than it did for a long time. His eyes were trained on Yamaguchi’s hand, mouth twisted up in a soft scowl. 

“Who did this? Was it those pathetic fools from our Biology class?” Tsukki asked, spraying an antiseptic on his hand. 

“No,” Yamaguchi sighed. He really doesn’t know how he’s gonna get out of this. 

“Who was it then? Don’t tell me you don’t know.” Tsukki hissed, his voice decidedly more frustrated than concerned at this point.

“I-” Yamaguchi started, unsure of where to go from there. Some kind of God is on his side today, because the others start filtering through to change. 

Practice is over, thank God. 

Tsukki must realize that he’s not going to get anything out of Yamaguchi while the others are there, because he quickly wraps up his hand and leaves him behind to change. Yamaguchi can barely contain his sigh of relief. 

Of course, with the worry of keeping his occupation hidden gone, he starts to realize just how much pain he’s in. 

A thick needle is between every vertebrae of his spine, drilling into them with little precision. His nerves are on fire, making his legs twitch. 

With a cough that’s in between a choke and a whimper, he throws his shirt on as quickly as possible. Everyone is watching him, even if they don’t say anything. 

With the most normal smile he can muster, he walks out and tries to walk to his house. He usually waits for Tsukki, but the boy has questions that Yamaguchi can’t answer right now. 

_ “Ya-Yamag-guchi…”  _

Something clicked into his left ear, making his head swerve in that direction. 

Just as he turned, a car flew past where he was standing before the noise distracted him. The driver had no regard for safety, blowing through a school zone at top speed. 

All Yamaguchi felt was the gust of wind as he saw the big blur of red and black nearly take him off his feet. 

“Yamaguchi!” Someone yelled from behind him, running to him on the crosswalk. Tsukishima. 

His hands gripped Yamaguchi’s shoulders, face paler than a white sheet, “Fuck, he almost hit you!” 

Yamaguchi inhaled shakily, curling in around himself. _ That close _ .

He had been that close to certain death. 

He really didn’t feel like coughing up more money for the ferryman.

“Shit, he’s in shock, get him back to the club room,” Another voice commanded, and Tsukki listened, picking him up, which  _ holy shit, Yamaguchi isn’t exactly a small guy,  _ and all but launching him into the safety of the club room. 

“Yamaguchi, can you hear me?” A voice said, something familiar. 

Ah, that was Suga, I think. 

His hands came up to grip his hair, and before he could stop it, his nose began to drip with blood. His circled-hand came up to apply pressure to it, but he hissed in burning pain at the feeling of blood in the wound. 

“Get a rag!” 

“Shit, look at his hand!” 

“Don’t let the other first-years see this, keep them out!” 

A heavy weight dropped on his shoulders, wrapping around him and humming calming words to him. 

“What are you doing?” 

“He’s having a panic attack! He needs to calm down first, trust me with this,” The voice said, vibrating against Yamaguchi’s back. 

It took five minutes, but Yamaguchi was able to stabilize his breathing and keep his feet on the ground. His nose was still gushing like no tomorrow, but there really wasn’t much he could about it. Slowly, he turned around. 

Asahi was the one hugging him. Which would be odd, considering they barely talk, but he knew that Asahi also struggled with anxiety. 

“Are you okay?” He asked, eyes big and watery, like he was struggling to keep himself composed at the sight of his underclassman in such distress.

Yamaguchi wiped away some blood from his upper lip, cringing at the coppery taste that had made its way into his mouth at some point, “I’m….sorry?” 

“It’s not your fault, we all saw how fast that guy ran through the crosswalk,” Tsukki sighed, before dabbing at Yamaguchi’s upper lip.

The blood had stopped, but he had pretty much ruined his street clothes. 

“That was...too close,” Suga exhaled shakily, sitting down beside Yamaguchi on the bench, “Way too close. Yamaguchi, you could’ve died,” 

Tsukki bristled, “I’m sure he knows that.” He scowled, but his sudden aggression betrayed his current unshakable ice-cold fear and despair. 

“Tsukishima. Please, not right now,” Daichi ordered, voice scratchy, like he had been yelling orders. 

Only the third years plus Tsukki were in the room, which Yamaguchi was thankful for. If Hinata had seen that…

“I thought I just bandaged that?” Tsukki huffed, looking at Yamaguchi’s palm. 

No bandage. 

Yamaguchi’s eyes widened, not really helping the anxious energy in the room. Could it be? 

“Fine. Let me do it again,” Tsukki started, but Asahi cut him off. 

“Yamaguchi, who did this?” He asked, pointing at his perfectly cut palm. 

“I already asked. He’s not gonna give up any information, so don’t bother,” Tsukki scoffed. 

“Yama?” Suga asked, putting a hand on his shoulder in what should’ve been a comforting way.

It probably would’ve been comforting, if not for the clicking in his skull. 


End file.
